New Telegraph

PIB: We’ll disappoint vested interests, pass bill in April – Gbajabiamila

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has assured that despite vested interests, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), will be passed in April 2021 to protect national interest.
Gbajabiamila gave the assurance on Wednesday while declaring open a two-day public hearing organised by the House ad-hoc committee on PIB led by the Chief Whip, Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno.
According to him: “We intend to pass this bill by April. That is a commitment we have made. Some may call it a tall order, but we will do it, and we will do it with every sense of responsibility without compromising the thoroughness of the work that will be done.”
He lamented that the PIB has been in the National Assembly for decades without much success, the 9th Assembly would ensure that it passes it into law.
He said though it was a national consensus that there should be a comprehensive reform of the oil and gas industry, he bemoaned a situation where “this critical national industry underperforms its potential and our national expectations.
“It is disappointing and frankly difficult to explain how successive governments have failed to deliver on the promise of reform despite this broad agreement.
“We are not oblivious to the fact of many contending interests in this sector. These contentions do not need to result in conflict, especially when we know the objective of national prosperity benefits us all.
“Regardless of whatever other interests may exist, for this ad-hoc committee and indeed the House of Representatives, Nigeria’s best interest is both our desired outcome and guiding principle. It falls to this ad-hoc committee to engage in a necessary balancing act in the interests of our beloved nation.”

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